The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-23
A FORTUNE F1OM STAMPS.
5HE BRILLIANT IDEA OF A
SMALL GERMAN DEALER.
4 Swindle to Which Christians and
Sinners Of This City Have
Contributed.


is the work of a German dealer in old
postage stamps There are in the
world about 10000 persons making
collections OF postage etamps-one
specimen OF esoh issue of each country
who may be clsssed as retail buyers.
There ere s.vsral Thousand dealers,
big ard little, who buy 10 sell again,
and abou, 1000 publications devoted
exclusively to postage stamps and
their history. Some stamps are very
rare, and very high pricee are paid for
them. The purchase of stamps in
bulk from the non philatelist is lot
terry. No man knows when he is 60
ing 10 get piiz3 in any loose boxiul
that may be sent to him by come per-
BON not collector.
About ten years ago g dealer IN q
small German town, whose capital was
his brains, conceived the brilliant idea
OF making all the world collect stamps
for him without charge,an send him,
also without charge, vast collections t.
sort and sell sgain. Other dealers have
to pay for this work, and they have to
charge high prices for their stamps.
He would have sll but the sorting doBe
for nothing Today this dealer has a
capital represented by seven figures
and million enthusiastic agents col
lecting in every section of tie civilized
globe. His daily mail contains hun.
dreds of thousands of postsge stamps
sent to him without cost. He has tbs
largest stock of any dealer, aud his
prices cut under all others in the
trade.
How he's he done it? This was his
brilliant idea: "People who sre not
willing to give money will give work
to help the poor. l will represent the
poor aid they shall work for me.
have brother in Palestine. Hsshsll
start Syrian Orphans Home on the
Mount Of Olives or in his imagiua-
tion-but we will advertise it as the
Mount OF Olives We will send
description Of this great charity to all |
the churches throughout the world,
telling them that for |, 200, 900 amps |
We will board, clothe and educate an
orphan until old enough to support |
itself. The stamps will come to me.
Ny brother will supply the orphan
in his mind"
HIS happy thought found a response
wherever Christian congregation |
gathered. There is not in any little
hamlet in the United States, or Eng
land, or India, or Australia, or any
civilized country, Christian congre-
CATION that has not from one to ten
members saving up postage stamps
begging, borrowing and even stealing
them-in order 10 make up the mill
ion that will go to clothe and educate
q Syrian orphan in this mythical
"Syrisn Orphans Home"
But there are many people, not
church members, who do not take
much interest in Syrian orphans.
They require little stronger meat.
The Syrian orphan dodge worked 80
we'll that cur little blue eyed German
stamp dealer five years ago started an
imaginary mission in the city OF Chang
Kiang, China, the holy sisters of
which agreed, for every million stamps
sent 10 him to save from the jaws of
the crocodi es Of the Yellow river at
least one Chinese baby. Furthermore,
they agreed that after saving it from
the jaws OF the crocodiles that they
would support, educate and Christian
izs it. Ali the stamps, however, were
not to bs RENTED to Munich or Stet.
tin. They were not to be sent to the
asylum at Chang KiaDg nor to the
Orphan Home at jerusalem. If any
conservative soul did send them there
they would not be lost. The brother
or an agent secured them, sorted them
and sent the priz,s to s etiin.
New circulars have gone out lately
promising that for 100000 stamps a
home will be found for an old lady or
an old gentleman for the remainder of
their lives in one of three homes-one
located in London, another in New
York and third in Cincinnati. For
500, 900 stamps bed will be endowed
in a hospital. For 100000 stamps
home will be found for some father
less or motherless child for one year.
This is holder game tnsn any OF
the others. No address is given for
either OF the homes, but the names OF
reputable people are given clergy.
men, physicians, well known philsn-
thropists, society ladies-to whom the
stamps are to be sent, TO be forwarded.
Inquiry shows that in every case
those whose names are given have
agreed to forward the stamps to some
one else, and that they know nothing
about the location OF the home or hos.
pital, except that tits in New York or
Cincinnati.
Twenty scattered Inquiries revealed
agencies in Boston, New York and
Philadelphia to receive these stamps,
the ultimsts destination for all that
are valuable being Stettin.
American stamps are the rarest and
dearest in the world. There are very
few not OF current issue that are not
valuable. Some are priceless. The
set of either 1869 or 1870 is worth from
$40 to $l6, and there are some stamps
worth from ST. to $50 each. The 8
cent red stamps of 1851 and 1865 have
no market value. The cent red with
outer line retail at 2 cents and are
worth 20 cents per 100. The cent
pink OF 1851 retsils for 10 cents and
dealers pay cents. The 8 cent rose
1853 has no value. The cent
scarlet OF 1866 retails for $40; dealers
pay SIS. When embossed all over the
back, the cancelled (used) 8 cent rose
(1S6S) is worth SIS and dealers pay So.
II the embossing isonly in a rectaugle
they pay 10 cents per 100. The {
cent (lS69) has no value;
neither has the cent green of
1872, but the 8 cent green of 1870 re-
tails for 10 cents aud dealers pay 2
cent?. The difference is thef the lat
ter is embossed and the former is not. 1
These Scent stamps, together with
the l cent of 1881, the cent (brown
and 8 cent (blue locomo-
.ive) of 1859; the l, 2, 8, 6, 10 unem. 2
bossed of 1872, and the 1, 2, 4. s, 10 OF 6
The current issue, are the only cheap |
md conn on American stamps. There q
ire half a dozen--I cent 1858, 2 cent 4
,lack, the II, I5, 80 and 80 of 1872 q
hat are quoted at cents retail; but I
III others range in price from &c cents r
o t25, very few being quoted at the
over price. I
All postage stamps issued by the